You know, if someone doesn't watch out, plain, unvarnished
pop-rock is going to make a comeback when no one's looking -- basic
and normal, no LimpBiz posturing, angst, or rap intermixing.
Frankly, it's about damned time. While we're still a long way from
the days of Night Ranger on MTV (and let's face it, that's
something we can probably be thankful for), well-crafted pop-rock
is cool again. And if that's your bag, you could do a lot worse
than the debut album from Washington's Vertical Horizon.

Everything You Want is a nice piece of work, in brief
summary; something that Vertical Horizon can be fond of. The
production is tight, the musicianship is competent, and the
songwriting is truly excellent. You've all probably heard
"Everything You Want", the first release and recent US Number One
song, but have you listened to the neat turns of phrase in the
lyrics? ("You're waiting for someone to put you together//You're
waiting for someone to push you away…" is one of my
favorites.) This is the best musical slap upside the head since the
Eagles' "Get Over It." Kudos as well for the funky,
reverse-recorded intro and the steady, throbbing percussion. This
is a perfect four-minute pop song, quick and elegant like a Kerry
Wood fastball or a Ray Bradbury short story.

If "Everything" was the only good song on the CD, it'd still
head home with a C. However, there are many other things worth your
hard-earned cash on this one, including the sonic blast of the
opener "We Are," the chiming guitar of "Finding Me," the
roots-tinged "Give You Back," and the eerie, haunting, and
obsessive "Shackled."

I only have two complaints with
Everything You Want. One is that the entire CD lacks a
cohesive feel, the sound and energy and emotion wandering somewhat
-- though to be fair, that kind of cohesiveness often comes with
time. The second is the drop in energy and enjoyment when Vertical
Horizon decides to do an almost-country ballad like "Best I Ever
Had" or "Miracle." These two tracks in particular fail to match up
with the quality of the rest of the CD.

Even so, I expect big things from Vertical Horizon in the
future, and for now
Everything You Want is worth checking out. This is a band on
the rise, the future of pop-rock. About time it
had a future, huh?